Circuit contact closing device.



G. G. MURPHY.

CIRCUIT CONTACT GLQSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION TILED JULY30, 1913.

1,099,& 1 2. Patented June 9, 1914.

lllllfllllllllllll GEORGE C. MURPHY, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

CIRCUIT CONTACT CLOSING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 30, 1913.

Patented June 9, 1914.

Serial No. 782,131.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. MURPHY, citizen of the United States. residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit Contact Closing Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a contact device especially adapted to be used in connection with electrical signaling devices used upon street cars, whereby an alarm will be sounded when two cars pass each other.

Another object of the invention is the production of an eflicient and simple contact means whereby a circuit will be closed therethrough as soon as one of the contact arms has been swung.

With the above and other objects in view this invention consists of certain novel combinations, constructions, and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing :-Figure 1 is an end view of the upper portion of two cars showing the contact devices in actual operation. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the contact device showing the spring pressed plunger carried therein. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the brackets adapted to support the contact device. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of the rear or inner end of the contact device which supports the same.

The present invention is an improvement upon the matter which has been divided out of the application bearing Serial Number 740,219, filed Jan. 4, 1913, and is adapted to be used in connection with my co-pending applications relative to a signal system and several forms of relay contact devices as illustrated in the said application.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that the circuit closing contact devices are carried by the top of the car and are adapted to contact when the cars pass each other, whereby the contact devices will be swung so as to close the circuit by pushing the plunger to be hereinafter described so as to close the circuit therethrough.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that 1 designates the supporting bracket which is provided with a fiat base 2 adapted to be secured to the top of a car, and this bracket 1 comprises a hollow body having a projecting arm 3, which projecting arm terminates in two spaced fingers 4 which fingers support the pintle portion 5 of the flapper arm 6. The arm 3 is provided with a centrally located aperture 7 in which aperture 7 is mounted a plunger 8 having a head 9 formed thereon, the plunger 8 carrying at its forward end an enlarged head 10 which is engaged by a coil spring 11 fitting in the enlarged socket portion 12 of the aperture 7. This spring 11 is adapted to force the head 10 outwardly and normally hold the head 9 in such a position as to keep the contact spring 13 from engagement with the contact plate 14. The bracket 1 carries upon its inner face an insulated block 15, which insulated block 15 carries a contact plate 16 upon which contact plate is secured the contact spring or finger 13. The contact plate 14 as previously described is secured to the block 15, and the spring 13 is adapted to close the circuit between the contact plate 16 and the contact plate 14. The rear face of the housing 17 of the bracket 1 is closed by means of a plate 18.

A supporting bolt 19 passes through the arms 4 and is held in its correct position by means of the nuts 20 and the pintle portion 5 of the flapper arm is mounted thereon, a spring 21 being placed upon the supporting bolt 19 and being secured to the lower arm 4 and at its upper end to a disk 22 carried by the pintle portion 5 of the flapper 6. The flapper 6 may be preferably formed of wood or any other light material and reinforced at its connecting point by being placed between the parallel blades 28 of the pintle portion 5 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3.

The pintle portion 5 of the flapper arm 6 is provided with a cam 24 upon its side face, which cam is adapted to engage the head 10 of the plunger 8 and force the same inwardly to close the circuit between the contact plates 14 and 16 as above described. A stop lug 25 is also supported by the arm 3 intermediate the arms or fingers 4. and a lug 26 carried by the pintle member 5 is adapted to engage the stop lug 25 and limit the swing of the flapper arm 6 in one direction.

From the foregoing description it will be especially at a street crossing where it is desired to sound an alarm when one car is passing the other especially when one car is discharging passengers.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. Acircuit closing device for a signal system comprising a casing, a contact plate carried by said casing, a circuit closing finger carried by said casing, a plunger rod engaging said circuit closing finger and adapted to cause said finger to form a contact with said contact plate, and means cooperating with said plunger for causing the same to be operated whereby a circuit will be closed between said finger and said contact plate as said mentioned means is swung.

2. A circuit closing device for a signal system comprising a casing, a contact plate carried thereby, a contact finger secured to said casing adapted to be thrown into contact with said contact plate, said casing provided with a projecting arm, a plunger working within said arm, a pivoted flapper arm carried by said first mentioned arm and adapted to cooperate with said plunger for forcing said plunger inwardly, and means carried by said plunger for engaging said contact finger and causing said contact fin-- ger to contact with said contact plate.

3. A circuit closing device of the class described comprising a casing, a projecting arm carried by said casing, a contact plate carried within said casing, a spring contact finger adapted to engage said contact plate for closing a circuit therethrough, a spring pressed plunger working in said arm and adapted to engage said finger for throwing the same into engagement with said contact plate, of a flapper arm pivotally support ed upon said first mentioned arm, means for limiting the swing of said flapper arm in one direction, and means carried by said flapper arm and engaging said spring pressed plunger for forcing the same inwardly as said flapper arm is swung in one direction.

at. A circuit closing device of the class described comprising a casing, a projecting arm carried thereby, a spring pressed plunger working in said projecting arm, circuit closing means carried within said casing and adapted to be engaged by said plunger for closing a circuit through said circuit closing means, said projecting arm provided with a plurality of spaced fingers, a flapper arm pivotally mounted between said fingers, a lug carried by said flapper arm, a stop carried between said fingers for limiting the swing of said flapper arm in one direction, and a cam carried by said flapper arm and engaging said spring pressed plunger for forcing said spring pressed plunger inwardly whereby said spring pressed plunger will be operated by said circuit closing means.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE C. MURPHY. Witnesses:

EMIL KRULL, CLARENCE M. KIMBALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G. 

